Tomorrow is my birthday. Ray and I will go to Sarah’s house to celebrate Christmas plus Nico’s, Liz’s, and my birthdays. I made a double batch of turkey meatloaf this afternoon and it is cooling in the kitchen. We’ll have that with stuffed shells, salad, and other goodies tomorrow. We’ll also exchange gifts (some of which remain unwrapped and await my attention). Our family has waited almost a whole month to get all together and I know that I, for one, am excited to see everyone. I expect it will be loud, boisterous, full of life and love.

I want to reflect briefly on being lucky enough to live to see this birthday of mine. I know many people who didn’t get a chance to live to what Leonard Cohen called “the foothills of old age” and I am grateful to have that opportunity. I do not take that gift for granted since I know how fragile life is. I am learning as I age how “to look up and out” as my mother used to say. That is opposed “to looking down and in,” which can lead to, again in my mother’s words, “small-mindedness and self-absorption.” My mother was not a fan of getting too self-involved. This was the woman who finished a PhD at 54 and then had a 28-year career. This is also the woman who after slowing down as a psychologist, took a class at H & R Block in tax preparation. She was around 80 at that time. Needless to say, her mantra was “keep the brain active.” Yes, and read, read, read, and when in doubt, read some more!

I hadn’t expected to write a whole paragraph on my mother’s approach to aging, but, of course, it is completely appropriate. Mom aged better than pretty much anybody I know. It makes sense that her modeling for living a happy, healthy, and long life would come to mind.

I hope to do as well as my mother did as I move further along this life’s journey. I want to stretch and grow, look up and out, and recognize that while self-reflection is a valuable way to spend some time, it’s important to not let that get in the way of living, learning, and loving.

On that note, I’ll just say Amen.

My best to all of you, my family and friends. Thanks for being in my life.